Ageless Pilates: The Secret to Moving Comfortably, Easily and Pain-free for the Rest of Your Life [Paperback]

Christine Binnendyk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 28, 2010

Master Pilates trainer Christine Binnendyk shows over-40-year-olds how to slow down the aging process - and jettison pain patterns - with this safe, simplified, and fully illustrated approach to Pilates. In just 15 minutes a day, with no equipment at all, the Ageless Pilates system retrains the body past pain and discomfort, regardless of age or current condition. Binnendyk has revolutionized the practice of Pilates with an easy-to-learn ABC system that creates youthful energy and mobility starting with the very first lesson. The ABCs - Anchor Points, Body Geometry and Comfort Choices - quickly become intuitive, allowing the system to carry from the exercise mat into everyday life. ~Anchor Points provide stability and safety for every position and movement. ~Body Geometry creates an efficient structure that works just the right amount to get results, but not so much that it causes undue wear and tear. ~Comfort Options offer the flexibility to fine tune every exercise based on how the body feels right in this moment. When combined, these concepts transform body mechanics and movement patterns creating a body that is strong and limber, comfortable and pain-free. Bodies of all ages respond with new comfortable posture, loose and easy movement patterns, and a renewed sense of energy. Each of the 23 Lessons features options that make the exercises accessible to all levels, increasing confidence, strength and flexibility. Master these in 15-minutes a day, then move on to the 18 Workouts for ongoing practice and continued improvement. Whether you're simply looking for a sleek, ageless body, or you're working with an ailment like low-back pain, arthritis, low bone density or diminished mobility, you'll find lessons and workouts designed specifically for you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

4 1/2 Stars! I love a well organized book. In Ageless Pilates I so appreciate the creative way that Christine Binnendyk combines written exercise instructions, photographs, and clever diagrams to build the lessons. It's a system that packs a lot of insight into a small space as to how Pilates exercises develop, as well as why you do them and how they fit into an overall program. I do think this book will appeal to adults of all ages.

The Bottom Line: Highly recommended for Pilates beginners and anyone looking to establish good movement basics for lifetime fitness; Ageless Pilates offers a thorough program of fundamental and beginner Pilates exercises.

*Lots of exercise modifications and tips
*Well organized, easy to follow programs
*Good exercise instructions
*Clear photos and diagrams --Marguerite Ogle, About.com Pilates Guide

"I love the Ageless Pilates System as it gives you new tools to learn Pilates. As an instructor of the technique for 30 years, I find it's so important for clients to have effective ways of understanding the method." --Michael King, International Pilates presenter, author of Michael King, International Pilates Presenter, Professional Comments March, 2010

"Ageless Pilates has fantastic images and cues for correct alignment. This is a great book to guide you into beginning your exercise program with an emphasis on the foundations of the Pilates method." --Sherri Betz, PT, author of The Osteoporosis Exercise Book

"For those of us with physical limitations, Ageless Pilates is the answer not only to decrease movement problems and pain, but also to prevent them from returning. Help yourself now and read this book." --Cindy Montgomery, Executive Producer Comfort Zone, Feeling Younger Workout DVD series

"Ageless Pilates addresses the most important issue for a self help book -- making exercise work for the individual by developing improved body awareness." --Stacy Barrows, PT, inventor of the SMARTROLLER

About the Author

Christine Binnendyk has helped thousands -- from professional athletes to hip-replacement patients -- regain their ease of movement using the Ageless Pilates System. Personally certified by Joseph Pilates' protégé, Romana Kryzanowska, she has taught at health and wellness centers across the United States. She is a master trainer at the Nike World Headquarters in Portland, OR.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Effortless Movement (February 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 098231700X
• ISBN-13: 978-0982317006
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Christine Binnendyk has helped thousands -- from professional athletes to hip-replacement patients -- regain their ease of movement using the Ageless Pilates System. Personally certified by Joseph Pilates' protégé, Romana Kryzanowska, she has taught at health and wellness centers across the United States. She is a master Pilates trainer at the Nike World Headquarters in Portland, OR.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A solid introduction to Pilates-based exercise, April 18, 2010

By 

Lynda Lippin (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ageless Pilates: The Secret to Moving Comfortably, Easily and Pain-free for the Rest of Your Life (Paperback)

As a Pilates and Fitness teacher for the last 21 years, I have developed two seemingly at-odds specialties: rehabilitative Pilates & Fitness for people living with illness, injury, and pain and bikini body Pilates & Fitness for the Sports Illustrated and Victoria's Secret swimsuit supermodel Raica Oliveira and others. So when I saw a preview of fellow Pilates professional Christine Binnendyk's Ageless Pilates: The Secret to Moving Comfortably, Easily and Pain-free for the Rest of Your Life, which promises to teach readers how to stay strong and pain-free throughout their lives, I was impressed enough to want to read the whole book.

Binnendyk's focus in her Ageless Pilates System is always movement without pain, and she tries in this book to break down the complexities of Pilates exercise into bite size pieces for people to more easily digest. The book is divided into 15 minute movement lessons and then more complex 30 minute Pilates-based workouts. She also offers modifications for those with back pain, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

While Binnendyk clearly knows her stuff, the book's layout is so crowded that I found it hard to follow what to do. There are a lot of photos where the models are wearing all black so it is difficult to see body position, along with explanations, watchpoints, and do's and don'ts. The main organizational principle seems to be the ABCs -- Anchor Points (which main areas to focus on), Body Geometry Tips (specific biomechanics to focus on), and Comfort Options (tips on how to stay pain free in a given exercise).

But there is almost too much information here, especially for newbies to Pilates. Something I find important in my teaching is keeping it simple by just explaining exactly what to do and why it's important. Short clear explanations of movements work well for most people. Too much and they tune out or get bored. And while there are some nice basic exercises in here, there are very few recognizable historical Pilates mat exercises and a whole lot of what we call pre-Pilates, or smaller movements. While that is not a huge issue for me, there are many Pilates teachers and students who might question the title.

Ageless Pilates could use some editing to make the explanations easier to follow and would definitely benefit from a cleaner layout and better photos. Still, when all is said and done it offers a good solid introduction to Pilates-based exercise for the general public.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ageless Pilates, August 23, 2010

By 

Pilates_4_Life (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ageless Pilates: The Secret to Moving Comfortably, Easily and Pain-free for the Rest of Your Life (Paperback)

I can see the value of Ageless Pilates as a self-help book, providing you have lots of time and patience and love detail. However, as a certified Pilates Instructor with a fair amount of experience working with all body types, ages, injuries, etc. I found the book to be overkill. I was hoping to learn something new but lost interest fast. Too much detail and too many photos left me irritated. IMO less would've been more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ageless Pilates, August 7, 2010

By 

Judy (Menlo Park, California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ageless Pilates: The Secret to Moving Comfortably, Easily and Pain-free for the Rest of Your Life (Paperback)

I bought this book to learn a bit about the Pilates method. I found many of the directions difficult to follow. And I found distracting the frequent misspellings, typos, mistakes in grammar and punctuation, and inconsistent layout/typography. In just three pages (38-40) I found that "pubic bone" was spelled "public bone," Kegel was misspelled several times as "kegal," and "laying" was used incorrectly instead of "lying" ("when laying down..." etc.). A movement professional ought to know the correct use of lie/lay. One lays down an object; a person LIES down.

Semicolons are used instead of colons. On page 64, a sentence is left incomplete: "Body Geometry Boost: Try keeping your Anchor Leg Ex-"

On page 39, "Pelvic Clock" is described without indicating in what way this is a "clock"--i.e., the instructions do not explicitly say that the person should rotate the pelvis in a circle, as if rolling around the numbers of a clock. Nothing is said about rotating.

At the least, the author should get an editor for any further editions.